Tracey McPhee elected Bundaberg deputy mayor in 2024-2028 council declaration ceremony

The Bundaberg mayor said the 2024-2028 council was ready to “get on with the job” after being sworn in at a declaration of office ceremony and undertaking its first vote.

Bundaberg Regional Council for the 2024-2028 term was sworn in at a declaration office ceremony on Thursday.

Bundaberg’s new council was formally sworn in at a declaration of office ceremony at the council chambers on Thursday.

After the new mayor Helen Blackburn, four new and six returning councillors swore to “faithfully and impartially fulfil the duties of the office” under the Local Government Act, and the first order of business for the new council involved the election of the deputy mayor.

Bundaberg Regional Council for the 2024-2028 term was sworn in at a declaration office ceremony on Thursday.

MORE NEWS: Developer unveils plans for new unit complex in Gin Gin

After first moving that the position of deputy mayor be reviewed every 12 months, which was passed unanimously, Jason Bartels nominated returning Division 4 councillor Tracey McPhee for the role and said the deputy mayor needed experience in the workings of council.

Returning Division 4 councillor Tracey McPhee was elected deputy mayor at the 2024-2028 declaration of office ceremony.

“Local government is not like any other organisation, business or job that you ever had,” Mr Bartels said.

“The deputy mayor should only be elected from those who have previously been a councillor … it will be a good fusion between the old and new.

“ … It will be a union between a new mayor and the knowledge and understanding of the existing council.”

After new Division 7 councillor Gary Kirk nominated himself for the role without further elaboration, the council elected Ms McPhee deputy mayor with only Mr Kirk opposing.

New mayor Helen Blackburn was sworn in at the 2024-2028 council declaration of office ceremony on Thursday.

Nominated by Ms Blackburn, new Division 5 councillor Larine Statham-Blair was voted the council’s representative on the local disaster management group, with the Division 2 and 3 councillors (Bill Trevor and Deb Keslake) reappointed as chair of the Childers and Gin Gin disaster management subgroups.

The first meeting of the council will be a briefing meeting on Tuesday, April 23, followed by an ordinary meeting on the following Tuesday, April 30.

In comments after the completion of the ceremony, Ms Blackburn said she looked forward to leading the council in delivering for the region.

“I’m not saying that campaigning was easy, but definitely the next four years we need to buckle down and get on with the job of governing the region,” she said.

“I think there’s a really good mix of old and new councillors there, we’ve got a lot of experience around the table and that’s really going to stand us in good stead moving forward.

“So I’m looking forward to the team coming together and being able to make decisions and for the benefit of the region.”

As flagged during the campaign, Ms Blackburn reiterated her view that her election and that of the new councillors constitutes a mandate for change voiced by the community.

Ms Blackburn said she looked forward to getting on with the job of leading the 2024-2028 council in delivering for the region.

“I think there’s been a very deliberate move by the community to transparency, accountability and community consultation, they’ve been the three things that have resoundingly come through,” she said.

“I believe many of those new councillors are there on those same platforms, so I believe that’ll be the way that council moves forward.”

The return of the early rates payment discount remains on the agenda, dependant on council’s ability to balance the budget in the light of the recent increases to land valuations.

MORE NEWS: Woman killed in head-on crash with fuel tankers

“That has been something that I’ve said that I will fight for, and I will continue to fight for that,” she said.

“It has to be practical, and it has to be able to be achieved and obviously … I need to have the numbers around the table, it needs to make sense to everybody else.”